A/N: Quick thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed! Always appreciated. I might just quickly add that this story will be sort of slow-burn. I have it all mapped out in my head though, and it won't look anything like how it started by the end. Enjoy!

GROCERY SHOPPING

It felt odd taking all of her paperwork home with her, not to mention pointless, since she would have to lug it all back with her again in the morning. She hadn't been able to carpool with Steve this time, since he'd had a few upcoming mission plans to go over with the others, and so she had taken advantage of the company driver she had at her disposal for such occasions. It was eerily quiet in the apartment when she finally stepped inside, her stack of files shoved haphazardly under one arm, another clutched in her mouth as she fought to tug her keys out of the lock. She listened out for any signs of life as she finally managed to nudge the door shut behind her. The place felt a lot less welcoming without the soft stream of music issuing from the record player, and Steve's optimistic presence. With a weary sigh, she set the files down on the dining table and went to dump her handbag in her room.

As she made her way back towards the kitchen, she slowed in front of the closed door of the second bedroom. She could hear movement in there again, but the apartment had looked the same as she and Steve had left it that morning. She wondered how often Bucky actually left his room when his friend wasn't around. She moved off towards the kitchen, stomach rumbling after a day fueled mainly by protein bars and coffee. It wasn't until she opened the fridge that she realized that she hadn't gone grocery shopping for herself yet. With a sigh, she shut the fridge door, resigned to the idea of a trip to the grocery store.

As she went to retrieve her purse, she paused again by the closed door, then before she knew what she was doing, she had knocked. The Bucky that opened the door was a little wilder-looking than the one she had met the night before. He looked disheveled – face weary, blue eyes dull – almost put out by the interruption. She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, desperately trying to ignore the silver arm almost completely exposed from under his black t-shirt.

"Need anything from the grocery store?" she managed to ask. He stared at her for a moment, and as he considered his answer the grumpy look seemed to withdraw.

"No," he replied after a bit, his voice just as deep and hoarse as the previous night.

"Alright, well, just thought I'd ask. There's not much in the fridge. Thought I'd head out and grab a few things."

He stood in the doorway for a moment, hands braced on either side of the frame as he went into thought again. He looked back into his room, then disappeared for a moment, returning with a baseball cap on his head and a jacket slung over his arm. She had been doing well to avert her eyes from the shining, silver appendage, but the way he held his jacket now drew attention to it.

"I'll come with you. I could use the fresh air." He caught the direction of her gaze and glanced down at his arm before looking away, as if it bothered him that she had noticed. She almost apologized. He was quick to pull on his jacket after that, going so far as to slip on a pair of leather gloves for complete coverage. It was only then that Nellie realized just how much the telltale attachment bothered him. She wondered if he had replaced it since his time working for Hydra, or if it was the same arm that had aided in the murder of so many. Pushing the thought from her mind, she stepped out through the door as he held it open for her, and together they headed for the elevator.

Grocery shopping with the Winter Soldier proved to be a strangely ordinary affair. Though he kept shooting anxious glances in different directions, for the most part he seemed happy to be out of the apartment. There had been a brief moment as they walked down the street together where she wondered if he was even supposed to be out there. It wasn't like he was Steve's prisoner, but maybe there was a reason Bucky shut himself up inside his room all day. She noticed he seemed to relax as he breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his skin. He needed this, she realized, and suddenly she was glad she had asked.

Now, as they stood in the cereal aisle, he seemed completely baffled by the amount of options that had come onto the market since his time. He picked up a box of Frosted Flakes and stared down at the smiling face of Tony the Tiger. Nellie watched him curiously. He looked over at her, feeling her gaze.

"Didn't have all this junk in my time," he said, looking up at the shelves and then down the aisle.

"Guess you had to leave room for all those trans fats and cigarettes."

He chuckled at that and gave a considering nod.

"But you're right," she went on, motioning to the box in his hand, "Not the most nutritional option. I don't think Cap would approve."

Bucky gave a light snort and placed the box back on the shelf. He scanned the other boxes again for a moment, then picked up another. "Now these I think I do remember." He showed her the box of Cheerios and she nodded, giving the 'ok' gesture with her fingers. With a smile, he tossed the box into their cart.

"What do you usually get?" he asked.

"For breakfast?"

He nodded.

"I usually have a coffee with Tony."

An odd expression came over Bucky and the next nod was very stiff. She didn't ask – with what she knew, she didn't have to. She made a mental note not to bring up Tony again in front of him, but he didn't seem to share her concern.

"Been working for him long?" he asked, the casual tone in his voice sounding awfully forced as he avoided eye contact. She snatched up some ground coffee as the passed by the shelf and tossed it down next to the Cheerios.

"A little over a year now," she replied.

"So he must have hired you right after…" He risked a glance in her direction and she nodded so he didn't have to go further. The memories of that period of time obviously still made him uncomfortable.

"I was thinking I could cook tonight. Any requests?" she asked, hoping to distract him. By the sudden change in his expression it seemed to work.

"I thought you said you couldn't cook."

"I asked what made you think I could."

He smiled. "So you can?"

"I guess you can be the judge of that tonight. How about…" she scanned the surrounding area and spotted the meat section, struck with sudden inspiration, "Steak? And vegetables?"

"That's how you're going to prove your cooking skills to me?" he said, and she realized he was teasing. It was a nice contrast from the dark, brooding Bucky she had caught a glimpse of only moments earlier.

"Well, I mean I could still burn the steak." He smirked but still didn't seem convinced.

When he failed to comment, she looked up. The smile had fallen from Bucky's face. He was staring at something over her shoulder, looking agitated. She turned with a frown to see what he was looking at and spotted a man standing at the end of the aisle. Though he was trying to appear distracted by the selection of pasta sauces, every so often he would shoot clear glances in their direction. The moment he noticed they were onto him, he scuttled off.

The brief moment of calm was gone. Bucky's gaze moved back to the floor as he fell silent, tensing his metal arm beneath all the layers as if it was on full display to everyone; announcing to the world who he was. Nellie scrambled for something to say; something to distract him or make him feel a little better. Her mind went back to food.

"You know what? I make a mean mac and cheese," she told him.

He nodded, no longer seeming to care.

They managed to make it through to the checkout without further incident, Bucky insisting on grabbing some plums as they passed the produce section. He explained to her, quietly, how he'd had a plum tree in the front yard of his house when he was growing up, how he and Steve had once eaten so many they'd both gone to bed with stomach aches. The whole time he told the story he'd had a small, thoughtful smile on his face, and it hadn't really seemed like he was talking to her at all; merely reminiscing out loud. Revisiting the old memories seemed to cheer him up, and the content look on his face soon had Nellie smiling too. She made a note to add the fruit to her future shopping list for him when they ran out.

As they stood in line, though, she noticed the way his eyes started to shift around again, how he kept his head ducked down as if trying to hide his face now that they were in a more enclosed space surrounded by people. He and Steve had both had their names cleared, as well as those who had chosen to side with them during the conflict, but it seemed that the paranoia of being discovered had never left Bucky; nor had that need to constantly be looking over his shoulder. It must have been exhausting. Her heart went out to him for that.

By the time Steve arrived back after a long day of training, planning, and a tedious meeting that had been led by Tony, the whole apartment smelled deliciously of baked goods. He inhaled deeply as he stepped through the door, eyes closed as a chocolatey scent invoked deep, hazy memories from his childhood. He was surprised to see Bucky seated at the kitchen counter enjoying a bowl of something that smelled as equally appetizing as whatever was currently cooking. He glanced over at Nellie as she bent down to peer into the oven. He hung up his coat and keys just as she glanced over.

"This all you?" he asked her as he moved to join them.

"Two days with a couple of super-soldiers from the forties and they've already got me cooking for them," she replied as she set down the fresh tray of brownies on top of the oven.

"My room could use a clean, too, when you're feeling up to it," he heard Bucky joke. Steve's eyes widened as he looked to Nellie, expecting her to be offended, but she surprised him with a laugh. Steve caught the genuine look of contentment on his friend's face but said nothing. It was so rare to see him smile these days; he was honestly just glad to see him out of his room.

"Where did all this come from?" he asked, looking around at the dishes of food as he took a seat next to his old friend. Bucky reached across the bench to grab a bowl and slid it across to him before doing the same with the tray of mac and cheese.

"Try this," he said, his tone already implying his positive review. Judging from the empty portion of the tray and the absence of a second, used bowl, Steve was pretty sure Bucky was already on his second or third helping.

"We went to get groceries," Nellie answered.

"Both of you?"

"I could use the day out," Bucky muttered to him, his tone noticeably different from before. He glanced at his friend, waiting for the worried look, but Steve managed to force it back, clapping him on the shoulder with a smile before he began dishing up his own meal.

"How'd the meeting go?" Nellie asked, as she waited with an empty bowl of her own. Steve looked up at her but seemed hesitant to reply, giving a heavy sigh instead. He settled with 'the usual', which she knew meant Tony getting steadily more snarky as they bickered, Nat doing her best to work out an actual mission plan throughout said bickering, Sam backing Steve on whatever came up, and Wanda and Vision taking the backseat as they watched the rest unfold. Nellie had witnessed the middle of one of these meetings before, after Tony had asked her to bring in a couple of folders of research she had compiled for them. At the time, she hadn't realized the exact relevance of the work he had tasked her with, but it gave her great pride in knowing that it had aided them in one of their missions. She hadn't truly appreciated the scope of her work until that day.

"I saw you out with Sam this morning," she went on, smirking.

He shook his head but couldn't hold back a chuckle. Bucky glanced between them. Sam was one of the few other people that ever visited; one of the few people that seemed to trust the Captain's judgement of him. He didn't mind the guy. Most of the time.

"Training," Steve said simply, and Bucky went back to his food.

"Is that what that was?" Nellie smiled, glancing at Bucky as she accepted the serving spoon from Steve. She could sense how useless Bucky felt being hidden away like this. She didn't know the true extent of the brainwashing or how dangerous that still made him, even now, but the way she saw it he would have made a strong addition to the Avengers team. Two super-soldiers? Nobody would stand a chance. If only Tony could let go of whatever grudge he seemed to have against the guy.

"We've got a mission coming up," Steve went on, "I'll be away for a couple of days." He looked between his two housemates and caught the glance Nellie threw at Bucky, who had suddenly stopped eating. She looked unsure.

"Who else is going?" she asked.

"Nat, Sam, Vision and myself."

She seemed relieved that Tony would be remaining behind. She had gotten so used to their routine together at the compound, that the last time he had gone away for a mission she had found herself still going for the morning walk just out of habit. It helped her think.

"You brought all that back with you?" Steve asked her, nodding to the stack of books and papers she had left on the dining table.

"Well, since I can't work all night at the compound anymore, I guess I don't have much of a choice," she replied, with a pointed look. He shook his head.

"I thought I was doing you a favor. You looked like you were overworking yourself. I guess not."

"Friends don't rat out friends," she replied in mock-contempt, and he chuckled.

"This is great," he said, spooning up another mouthful of cheesy pasta, "You didn't have to do all this. But I appreciate it. Nothing like coming back to a home-cooked meal."

"Just don't expect it every night. At least not until we're married." A touch of color rose in the captain's cheeks at the joke even as he smiled and threw her a look for the comment. Nellie grinned. "Just kidding. Or am I? Alright, I'll be right back. Make sure you leave me some. Oh, and leave room for dessert!" she called back to them as she headed for the bathroom.

She leaned back against the counter moments later, her own bowl of steaming pasta clutched in her hands, smiling as she watched the two boys enjoy their meals. She felt weirdly like the mother of two very overgrown, handsome kids. The kitchen was filled with a content kind of silence as the two men proceeded to polish off both trays of food. She had to envy that increased metabolic rate, settling for one serve of each food herself. She didn't train like Steve and the others did, instead taking the stairs where she could in the compound, or taking a walk around the grounds during lunch. She especially admired Nat for her dedication. No enhancements and she was still a match for anyone on the team. Plus, she doubted she'd ever have the ability to pull off a catsuit the way that woman did.

Leaving the boys to clean up (since they had politely insisted on it – maybe she should be considering that marriage thing a little more seriously after all), Nellie moved off towards the bathroom for a quick shower to refresh herself before undertaking what she knew was going to be a long night of research. She smiled as she went, beginning to feel better about the move. She was settling in nicely and was pretty sure she was making a good impression on her new housemates. Maybe she would finally have a place to call home. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

She was, of course, quite wrong.